At Øyra school in Volda, the 4th graders remember well what it was like to learn to write. They were allowed to use the iPad more than the pencil at first. – I didn’t know what it was like to write, I had never done it before. I started by using a tablet, and then it was easy, says Victor Krumsvik Skeide. – At the start, I think it was easier to use a tablet than to write by hand, because then I didn’t know the letters at all, says Lilly Hjelme Husøy. Now, after almost four years at the school, they believe that writing has gained momentum, both with and without digital tools. – Both parts are quite good, says Victor. If students who have just started writing are to produce texts that will convey a message and be legible to others, tablets may be well suited. Photo: Jonas Otneim / news – Most people learn anyway A group of researchers has investigated how the use of tablets and various writing tools affects pupils’ handwriting and writing development in the first two years at school. – There is no significant difference in text quality if the pupils start writing by hand or with digital tools. Most people want to learn to write by hand after second grade anyway, says Wenke Mork Rogne, professor at the Department of Language and Literature at Volda University. The 4th graders at Øyra school have had their own tablets since first grade. Some of them prefer the iPad, while others like to write by hand. Photo: Jonas Otneim / news The teacher decides In some classes all the students had their own tablets, while other classes had more limited access and the students wrote with pencil and paper. They found very little difference in these two groups – In contrast, we found that the role of the teacher in the classroom was all the more important. How the teacher facilitates writing is more important than what writing tools the pupils use. The Digihand project The purpose of Digihand was to investigate how the use of tablets and various writing tools affects the pupils’ handwriting and writing development in first grade over 2 years. Was a research council project that the University of Volda has in collaboration with the Reading Center in Stavanger The researchers followed the writing training in 33 classrooms Telling parents not to worry Lately, the debate about how much the screen should be used at school has flared up again. The Facebook group “Call for less screen use in primary schools” has gained over 13,000 members since the New Year. Mork Rogne believes that parents should not be worried about the tablets being used in the children’s education. – What we see from the end of second grade is that the pupils, whether they have used a tablet or not, want to learn the letters. But it also depends on whether the teachers plan for varied working methods and writing tools. Teacher Aud Selma Husøy suggests that the pupils both write by hand and use several writing apps on the tablet. – How ready the children are for writing when they are six years old is different. Tablets can provide different ways of thinking, and that is a positive thing. Photo: Jonas Otneim / news – A good handwriting is not a fine print The researchers did not see any particular difference in the handwriting of students who write mostly by hand, compared to the completely digital students. But how the font looks is not considered that important. – Good handwriting is not fine print, as many people think. Good handwriting is functional and legible for people other than yourself, says Mork Rogne. The 4th graders at Øyra school are still fascinated by how beautiful the writing is. – I’m not a world champion in handwriting, but it’s just right, says Victor. – I think my handwriting is perfect because it is easy to read, says Astrid Johanne Drabløs. The research shows that pupils who write a lot by hand become better at forming letters and getting the letters straight when they write on paper. Astrid Johanne Drabløs prefers a pencil because she thinks it’s easier to use a tablet. – Then I have to look for the buttons. Photo: Jonas Otneim / news Research shows that students who write a lot by hand become better at forming letters and getting the letters straight when they write on paper. Astrid Johanne Drabløs prefers a pencil because she thinks it’s easier to use a tablet. – Then I have to look for the buttons. Photo: Jonas Otneim / news Leading digital tools Writing skills by hand seem to be changing, the research shows. It may appear that the pupils prefer to use digital tools for larger tasks. – Some of the students say that their hands hurt when they write long. We think it may be less motivating for pupils to write by hand when they usually write a lot digitally, says Mork Rogne, who emphasizes that they cannot say anything about the long-term effects. Victor is one of those who likes the iPad best, but he does not get support from his classmates. – I like to write by hand and I don’t get tired. I get more tired from looking at a screen, says Astrid Johanne. – I like both parts quite well, but I think it is more instructive to write by hand, says Lilly.
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Research shows that pupils learn to write just as well when they use tablets as by hand – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
